Spotlight

• Produce Supply Update August 14, 2026 Good Morning! Bell Peppers – Feature them now. Broad summer harvests are keeping green and red pepper prices low, with good quality for fajitas, salads, pizzas and roasted-pepper specials. Broccoli – Demand is outrunning production, so prices should rise. There are still some coming from northern areas which is helping the market right now. Cantaloupe and Honeydews We’re seeing very strong volumes being harvested with high sugar levels and excellent ripeness. They’re at peak season all over the country currently. Feature them in your brunch menus. Citrus – Small oranges are extremely tight as schools reopen; larger fruit is more available. Lemons remain elevated as always during summertime lemonade season. Grapes – California red and green seedless supplies are abundant and markets are weak. Quality is very good—an easy call for fruit cups, cheese boards and buffets. Limes – Markets are edging higher. Mexican rain and humidity are causing oil spotting and skin breakdown; small fruit is tight. Order short and inspect deliveries. Potatoes – New-crop red and yellow volume is increasing, so pricing should ease. Idaho Baking potatoes are running out of their storage supplies but should begin harvesting over the next few weeks. Strawberries – Heat is increasing softness and bruising. Buy for short turns, refrigerate immediately and avoid deep clamshell stacks. We’re about 2 weeks away from the transition to new fields and quality should improve dramatically at that time. Watermelon – Summer production is active across the Midwest and Northeast. Markets are steady with good eating quality—a dependable choice for buffets, beverage stations and catering. Foodservice Trend or Best Practice – Ordering flexibility pays. Share forecasts and acceptable counts or pack sizes early so we can steer you toward plentiful items and away from premium sizes. Q: How can you make a water bed bouncy? A: Use spring water.
• Produce Supply Update August 7th, 2026 Good Morning! Apples – Old-crop storage supplies remain tight. Early Gala and Honeycrisp harvest has started in Washington, but meaningful Gala volume is not expected until mid-August. Asparagus – Supply is tight and prices are high. Warm Peruvian winter weather is limiting large sizes, while Central Mexico may finish early by mid-August. Large, XL and Jumbo will be especially difficult through September. Avocados – Mexico’s new crop is underway, with best availability on 60s, 70s and 84s. Larger sizes remain limited until mid-August. California and Peru are helping fill the gap. Broccoli – Supply is adequate, but some California fields are finishing ahead of younger acreage. A short gap may put upward pressure on next week’s market; overall quality remains good. Citrus – California Valencias are peaking on 56s and 72s while school demand makes 113s and 138s extremely tight. Lemons also remain firm, with larger fruit tightest. Flexibility on orange size and lemon grade will help coverage. Grapes – California red and green seedless grapes are in full production with excellent availability on Large and Extra-Large fruit. Markets are steady with promotional opportunities—one of this week’s better values. Lettuce – Iceberg, romaine and leaf supplies are strong. Favorable coastal California weather is supporting good quality, and shippers are flexing pricing. Lettuce is a strong buy for the next couple of weeks. Pineapples – Mexican volume is fading and Costa Rican production is forecast to drop sharply by mid-August. Contract business is being prioritized; expect a firm-to-higher market and very tight supplies into mid-October. Strawberries – Heat and humidity continue to pressure shelf life and quality. A short supply gap is lifting prices, while ample overall inventory remains. Fall-crop fruit should improve consistency by mid-August. Sweet Corn – Summer heat has tightened corn volume, with limited availability reported through the hottest stretch of the season. Keep lead times in mind on larger orders until northern production improves supply. Foodservice Trend – Back-to-school demand is tightening small oranges and apples, while lettuce, grapes, melons and watermelon offer strong value. Feature abundant items and allow size substitutions on tighter commodities to protect food cost and fill rates. Q: Why was the cucumber in court? A: Because it was in a pickle!
• Produce Supply Update July 31, 2026 Good Morning! Market & Weather Snapshot – Hotter-than-normal weather is favored nationwide for August 3-7. Heavy showers linger in the East, while Western heat and California coastal humidity may reduce shelf life on berries and leafy items. Avocados – Mexico’s Loca crop is building. Smaller fruit is increasing and pricing is easing, while large sizes remain tighter. The best value is generally 60- and 70-count fruit. Asparagus – Mexican supplies are light and large Peruvian packs are limited, keeping prices firm. Plan ahead, stay flexible on size, or consider green beans and broccolini. Broccoli & Cauliflower – Plentiful supplies and soft demand make both strong menu values. Quality is good, although Mexican rain and California insect pressure may cause some variation. Berries – Humidity may soften strawberries. Order close to use. Citrus – Lemons remain firm. Valencia oranges favor larger sizes; 113- and 138-count fruit is tight. Limes are steady, with some moisture-related quality concerns. Lettuce – Iceberg, romaine, and green leaf are abundant and priced attractively. Summer heat may bring fringe burn, mildew, yellowing, or insect pressure, so expect normal trimming. Melons & Summer Fruit – Cantaloupe and honeydew volume is increasing, easing prices. Watermelon and stone fruit are plentiful. Grape quality and sugar should improve over the next two weeks. Peppers, Cucumbers & Squash – This group offers strong summer value. Bells, cucumbers, zucchini, and yellow squash are plentiful. Fresno and habanero peppers remain the firmer-priced exceptions. Tomatoes, Potatoes & Onions – Tomatoes are steady and plentiful. New-crop red and yellow potatoes are starting, but overall potato pricing remains elevated. Fresh-run onions are increasing; new skins bruise easily. More kitchens are reducing prep waste by ordering produce based on usable yield—not just case price. Pre- trimmed or appropriately sized products may cost more upfront but can lower labor, reduce disposal, improve portion consistency, and deliver a better overall food cost. Q: What is the opposite of antibiotics? A: Unclebiotics.
• Produce Supply Update July 17th, 2026 Good Morning! Asparagus – Domestic asparagus is finishing for the season, so the supply has tightened up with fewer places to get them. Pricing is up with the lighter supply. They expect tight supplies until Mid August, particularly on the larger sizes. Avocados – Mexican supplies are increasing as they complete their seasonal transition. Prices are easing downwards. Blueberries – Are still going strong in NC and still beautiful. The flavor is fantastic right now too. It’s a great time to put some in the freezer for after the season. Broccoli – Is coming from several areas up north as well as the West Coast and quality has been much improved. Cabbage – Our NC mountain farmers are harvesting gorgeous cabbage and plenty of it. It’s also being harvested in Michigan, Canada, and the midwest currently. It’s been plentiful and beautiful. Great time to feature some fancy cole slaw recipes. Corn– Is still going strong post holiday as it’s a staple on summer menus, both in foodservice and peoples homes. Big beautiful ears are at their peak right now! Lettuce – Leaf lettuce supply is improving out of California as Salinas and Santa Maria production continues to build, while regional programs in the Midwest and New Jersey are beginning to add supplemental volume. Melons – Honeydew and cantaloupe supplies seem to be improving nationwide due to a crop failure in California. Our local farmers are fortunately at the peak of their Athena Cantaloupe and honeydew season and the quality has been amazing. Peppers and Cucumbers – Are going strong locally and the harvest should last a couple of more weeks. When they finish, there are plenty areas up north getting started and the added volume should help the market ease downward. Squash – The high temps are giving our local farmers a lot of trouble, so we may be pulling local squash as well as more northern squash until the temps settle down a bit. We have local hard squashes getting started also. Tomatoes – Local tomatoes are increasing in volume but we are expecting a short season due to the heat. What has been available, though, has been beautiful. We have several varieties of heirlooms as well as baby heirlooms ready to go. I knew a guy who worked 14 hours everyday just to put food on the table. Hard worker, but the slowest cook ever.
• Produce Supply Update July 10th, 2026 Good Morning! Asparagus – Domestic asparagus is finishing for the season, so the supply has tightened up with fewer places to get them. Pricing is up with the lighter supply. They expect tight supplies until Mid August, particularly on the larger sizes. Avocados – Mexican supplies are increasing as they complete their seasonal transition. Prices are easing downwards. Blueberries – Are still going strong in NC and still beautiful. The flavor is fantastic right now too. It’s a great time to put some in the freezer for after the season. Broccoli – Is coming from several areas up north as well as the West Coast and quality has been much improved. Cabbage – Our NC mountain farmers are harvesting gorgeous cabbage and plenty of it. It’s also being harvested in Michigan, Canada, and the midwest currently. It’s been plentiful and beautiful. Great time to feature some fancy cole slaw recipes. Corn– Is still going strong post holiday as it’s a staple on summer menus, both in foodservice and peoples homes. Big beautiful ears are at their peak right now! Eggplant – Lots of exciting varieties are available locally now. Reach out if there’s something in particular you’re looking for. Lettuce – Romaine and Green leaf have been very limited with a lot of quality issues for the past few weeks, but that’s behind us now. We’re seeing improved harvests and better pricing going forward. Melons – Honeydews and cantaloupes remain EXTREMELY short nationwide due to a crop failure in California. Our local farmers are fortunately at the peak of their Athena Cantaloupe and honeydew season and the quality has been amazing. Peppers and Cucumbers – Have begun locally and we’ll be sourcing them from our neighbors as long as the season lasts. Quality has been gorgeous. Tomatoes – Local tomatoes are getting started but all reports are that the heat has devastated their crop and it’ll be a short season. The baby varieties are doing great locally now, so use them everywhere you can. Be happy that it’s not snowing. Can you imagine shoveling snow in this heat?
• Produce Supply Update July 3rd, 2026 Happy Birthday America! Asparagus – Domestic asparagus is finishing for the season, so the supply has tightened up with fewer places to get them. Pricing is up with the lighter supply. Avocados – Mexican supplies are increasing as they complete their seasonal transition. Prices are easing downwards. Blueberries – Are still going strong in NC and still beautiful. The flavor is fantastic right now too. It’s a great time to put some in the freezer for after the season. Broccoli – We’re back to the West Coast for California Broccoli as it’s too hot on the East Coast now for broccoli. Cabbage – Our NC mountain farmers are harvesting gorgeous cabbage and plenty of it. Corn– Is always a big deal for the 4 th of July holiday. It’s a great item to feature now that our local farmers are picking beautiful ears. Eggplant – Lots of exciting varieties are available locally now. Reach out if there’s something in particular you’re looking for. Lettuce – Romaine and Green leaf have been very limited with a lot of quality issues for the past few weeks, but that’s behind us now. We’re seeing improved harvests and better pricing going forward. Melons – Honeydews and cantaloupes are EXTREMELY short nationwide due to a crop failure in California. Our local farmers are fortunately at the peak of their Athena Cantaloupe season and the quality has been amazing. Peppers and Cucumbers – Have begun locally and we’ll be sourcing them from our neighbors as long as the season lasts. Strawberries – Are much more available this week, though quality is still a struggle for them. The quality issues come from the unstable weather patterns experienced over the past three months Tomatoes – Local tomatoes are getting started but all reports are that the heat has devastated their crop and it’ll be a short season. Tomorrow we celebrate more than our nation's independence—we celebrate the courage to build, the freedom to dream, and the responsibility to leave America stronger for the next generation. Happy Fourth of July!
• Produce Supply Update June 26th, 2026 Good Morning! Asparagus – Domestic asparagus is finishing for the season, so the supply has tightened up with fewer places to get them. Pricing is up with the lighter supply. Avocados – Mexican supplies are increasing as they complete their seasonal transition. Prices are easing downwards. Blueberries – Are still going strong in NC and still beautiful. The flavor is fantastic right now too. It’s a great time to put some in the freezer for after the season. Broccoli – We’re back to the West Coast for California Broccoli as it’s too hot on the East Coast now for broccoli. Cabbage – Our NC mountain farmers are harvesting gorgeous cabbage and plenty of it. Corn– Is always a big deal for the 4th of July holiday. It’s a great item to feature now that our local farmers are picking beautiful ears. Eggplant – Lots of exciting varieties are available locally now. Reach out if there’s something in particular you’re looking for. Lettuce – Romaine and Green leaf have been very limited with a lot of quality issues for the past few weeks, but that’s behind us now. We’re seeing improved harvests and better pricing going forward. Melons – Honeydews and cantaloupes are EXTREMELY short nationwide due to a crop failure in California. Our local farmers are fortunately at the peak of their Athena Cantaloupe season and the quality has been amazing. Peppers and Cucumbers – Have begun locally and we’ll be sourcing them from our neighbors as long as the season lasts. Strawberries – Are much more available this week, though quality is still a struggle for them. The quality issues come from the unstable weather patterns experienced over the past three months Squash and Zucchini – Our local farmers are going strong and prices are showing the abundance. Quality has been exceptional. Tomatoes – Local tomatoes are still a week or two away but there are good supplies coming from Georgia and South Carolina and quality is great. Prices continue to ease downward on all varieties. Q: When does a car stop being a car? A: When it turns into a driveway.
• Produce Supply Update June 19th, 2026 Good Morning! Asparagus – After many weeks of short supply and high markets, our domestic growers are kicking into gear and there’s plenty to go around. Now is a great time to feature it on your menus. Avocados – Mexican supplies are increasing as they complete their seasonal transition. Prices are easing downwards. Blueberries – Are still going strong in NC and still beautiful. The flavor is fantastic right now too. It’s a great time to put some in the freezer for after the season. Broccoli and Cabbage – Hot weather has ended the season for our eastern NC farmers. There are still some coming from the cooler mountain farms and supplies are strong nationwide, keeping markets favorable. Corn– Is really hitting its stride locally as we get ready for the 4 th of July. Feature these sweet ears on your summer menus and they’ll be a hit! Grapes – With pricing as low as it was, there was only one way for it to go. Pricing is stronger this week. Lettuce – The leaf lettuce market is expected to remain firm to elevated over the next few weeks, led by romaine and romaine hearts, which continue to see the strongest demand and pricing support. Supplies out of California remain very light, and while some improvement has been noted, quality variability is still limiting relief, particularly on hearts and value‑added items. Melons – Cantaloupes remain extremely short nationwide due to crop failure in California, but our local farms are getting started so we’ll be using the much sweeter Athena variety while it’s available. Honeydews are also short on supply, but watermelons are widely available. Peppers and Cucumbers – Have begun locally and we’ll be sourcing them from our neighbors as long as the season lasts. Strawberries – Rains and hot weather out west have the berry growers struggling to find good product. Prices are up on the tighter supplies. Squash and Zucchini – Our local farmers are going strong and prices are showing the abundance. Quality has been exceptional. Tomatoes – Local tomatoes are still a week or two away but there are good supplies coming from Georgia and South Carolina and quality is great. Prices continue to ease downward on all varieties. In America we call it an elevator, but in England they call it a lift. I guess we’re just raised differenty.
• Produce Supply Update June 12th, 2026 Good Morning! Asparagus – After many weeks of short supply and high markets, our domestic growers are kicking into gear and there’s plenty to go around. Now is a great time to feature it on your menus. Avocados – Mexico is changing seasons and there’s a short term gap effecting the market. Supplies dried up seemingly overnight and tight supplies and higher pricing are expected to last through June. Blueberries – Are still going strong in NC and still beautiful. The flavor is fantastic right now too. It’s a great time to put some in the freezer for after the season. Broccoli and Cabbage – Is slowing down locally with the warmer weather as the harvest moves north for cooler temps. Corn– Is beginning locally and it’s absolutely beautiful. Not many local farmers grow yellow, focusing on bicolor, so that’s what we’ll have for a while. Grapes – It seems like the west coast grape season has just begun and they’re already looking to push volumes as they’re having a strong harvest and sluggish demand. Prices are staying low. Lettuce – The leaf lettuce market is expected to remain firm to elevated over the next few weeks, led by romaine and romaine hearts, which continue to see the strongest demand and pricing support. Supplies out of California remain very light, and while some improvement has been noted, quality variability is still limiting relief, particularly on hearts and value‑added items. Melons – Watermelons are widely available now and hot weather makes everyone think of watermelons. Cantaloupes are extremely short due to a crop failure in California. Oranges – Navel oranges will be soon finishing up for the season and we’ll start to see the transition to Valencia variety. Though a great orange, valencias are seeded. Strawberries – Rains and hot weather out west have the berry growers struggling to find good product. They’re prewarning us to expect troubled berries next week. Squash and Zucchini – Our local farmers are going strong and prices are showing the abundance. Quality has been exceptional. Tomatoes – Local tomatoes are still a week or two away but there are good supplies coming from Georgia and South Carolina and quality is great. Prices continue to ease downward on all varieties. Q: Why don’t elephants jog on the beach? A: They can’t keep their trunks up.
• Produce Supply Update June 5th, 2026 Good Morning! Asparagus – After many weeks of short supply and high markets, our domestic growers are kicking into gear and there’s plenty to go around. Now is a great time to feature it on your menus. Avocados – Mexico is changing seasons and there’s a short term gap effecting the market. Supplies dried up seemingly overnight and tight supplies and higher pricing are expected to last through June. Blueberries – Are cranking up in NC and the quality has been beautiful. We’re looking forward to a great season. Broccoli and Cabbage – both are going strong locally and quality has been gorgeous. Pricing has been very favorable too with the lower freight rates of close by farms. Corn– Is widely available now and quality and pricing are excellent! It’s been a tough spring but they’re finally past the hard part and the summer should be smooth sailing from here on. We’re looking at a great summer for corn. Grapes – It seems like the west coast grape season has just begun and they’re already looking to push volumes as they’re having a strong harvest and sluggish demand. Prices are lower this week. Lettuce – The leaf lettuce market is expected to remain firm to elevated over the next few weeks, led by romaine and romaine hearts, which continue to see the strongest demand and pricing support. Supplies out of California remain very light, and while some improvement has been noted, quality variability is still limiting relief, particularly on hearts and value‑added items. Melons – Honeydews, cantaloupes are finishing the offshore season and are starting domestically out west. Watermelons are plentiful and prices are moving to summertime levels. Warmer weather makes it a great time to feature these. Oranges – Navel oranges will be soon finishing up for the season and we’ll start to see the transition to Valencia variety. Though a great orange, valencias are seeded. Strawberries – Rains and hot weather out west have the berry growers struggling to find good product. They’re prewarning us to expect troubled berries next week. Work them closely to avoid loss. Squash and Zucchini – Our local farmers are going strong and prices are showing the abundance. Quality has been exceptional. Tomatoes – Local tomatoes are still a few weeks away but there are good supplies coming from Georgia and quality is great. Prices continue to ease downward on all varieties. Q: What does a Mexican duck say? A: Guac Guac Thank you for your business! Have a Great Week! Copyright Ford’s Produce 2026
• Produce Supply Update May 29th, 2026 Good Morning! Asparagus – After many weeks of short supply and high markets, our domestic growers are kicking into gear and there’s plenty to go around. Now is a great time to feature it on your menus. Avocados – Mexico is changing seasons and there’s a short term gap effecting the market. Supplies dried up seemingly overnight but better conditions are expected over the coming weeks as new areas begin harvesting. Blueberries – Are cranking up in NC and the quality has been beautiful. We’re looking forward to a great season. Broccoli and Cabbage – both are going strong locally and quality has been gorgeous. Pricing has been very favorable too with the lower freight rates of close by farms. Corn– Is widely available now and quality and pricing are excellent! It’s been a tough spring but they’re finally past the hard part and the summer should be smooth sailing from here on. We’re looking at a great summer for corn. Grapes – It seems like the west coast grape season has just begun and they’re already looking to push volumes as they’re having a strong harvest and sluggish demand. Prices are lower this week. Lettuce – The leaf lettuce market is expected to remain firm to elevated over the next few weeks, led by romaine and romaine hearts, which continue to see the strongest demand and pricing support. Supplies out of California remain very light, and while some improvement has been noted, quality variability is still limiting relief, particularly on hearts and value‑added items. Melons – Honeydews, cantaloupes are finishing the offshore season and are starting domestically out west. Watermelons are coming on strong in Florida and prices are lower. Warmer weather makes it a great time to feature these. Oranges – Navel oranges will be soon finishing up for the season and we’ll start to see the transition to Valencia variety. Though a great orange, valencias are seeded. Strawberries – Supplies remain limited and quality has been suspect. We’ve seen a small amount of local strawberries available after the rains last week dried out. Squash and Zucchini – Our local farmers are cranking out the squash. Quality has been exceptional. Tomatoes – Local tomatoes are still a few weeks away but there are good supplies coming from Georgia and quality is great. Nothing in the English language starts with N and ends in G. Thank you for your business! Have a Great Week! Copyright Ford’s Produce 2026
• Produce Supply Update May 22nd, 2026 Happy Memorial Day! Apples – We are now in the heart of the storage crop season and the beginning of the import season. The storage crop is smaller than last year and therefore many varieties and packs are tighter than last year. Blueberries – Are cranking up in NC and the quality has been beautiful. We’re looking forward to a great season. Broccoli and Cabbage – Both are going strong locally and quality has been gorgeous. Pricing has been very favorable too with the lower freight rates of close by farms. Corn– Is widely available now and quality and pricing are excellent! It’s been a tough spring but they’re finally past the hard part and the summer should be smooth sailing from here on. Feature corn for your Memorial Day menus. Grapes – It seems like the west coast grape season has just begun and they’re already looking to push volumes as they’re having a strong harvest and sluggish demand. Prices are lower this week. Melons – Honeydews, cantaloupes are finishing the offshore season and are starting domestically out west. Watermelons are coming on strong in Florida and prices are lower. Warmer weather makes it a great time to feature these. Oranges – Navel oranges will be soon finishing up for the season and we’ll start to see the transition to Valencia variety. Though a great orange, valencias are seeded. Stone Fruit – Season has begun! We have cherries, nectarines, peaches, plums and apricots available. Strawberries – California had some hot days and then a lot of rain, which are the 2 worst things for a strawberry field. Supplies got extremely short seemingly overnight. Prices are up as a result. Squash and Zucchini – The local season has begun and we’re expecting a great year. Lots of farmers are harvesting all at once so I think we’re going to rapidly see some falling prices. Tomatoes – Markets continue to fall as supplies catch back up with demand. Quality, volume, and pricing are all getting better every day. Our local crops are still a few weeks out. I can always tell someone is lying just by looking at them. I can tell when they’re standing too. Thank you for your business! Have a Great Week! Copyright Ford’s Produce 2026
• Produce Supply Update May 15th, 2026 Good Morning! Apples – We are now in the heart of the storage crop season and the beginning of the import season. The storage crop is smaller than last year and therefore many varieties and packs are tighter than last year. As a result, we are seeing a rising market on many varieties, sizes, and packs, and this trend is expected to continue for the next couple of months. The most significant item that is down this year is the Gala apples. The latest storage report shows that inventory is down over 20% from last year. Blueberries – Started locally this week and they’re absolutely beautiful. Pricing is great and the berries are plump and delicious. Broccoli and Cabbage – both are going strong locally and quality has been gorgeous. Pricing has been very favorable too with the lower freight rates of close by farms. Corn– Is widely available now and quality and pricing are excellent! It’s been a tough spring but they’re finally past the hard part and the summer should be smooth sailing from here on. Melons – Honeydews, cantaloupes and watermelons are all lower. Warmer weather makes it a great time to feature these on your menus. Oranges – The crop is heavily trending toward the larger sizes of fruit, making smaller oranges very hard to source. Pricing is flipped upside from what it normally is, with the larger sizes typically fetching top dollar. Stonefruit – Season has begun! We have cherries, nectarines, peaches, plums and apricots available. Strawberries – Are all but finished locally though it was a great season. We’ll be moving to California growers Squash and Zucchini – Our local farmers are starting this week and we’re excited for the season to begin. We’re expecting a great year. Tomatoes – Markets continue to fall as supplies catch back up with demand. Quality, volume, and pricing are all getting better every day. Q: What’s a cucumber’s favorite sport? A: Pickle ball
• Good Morning! Produce Supply Update May 4th, 2026 Apples – We are now in the heart of the storage crop season and the beginning of the import season. The storage crop is smaller than last year and therefore many varieties and packs are tighter than last year. As a result, we are seeing a rising market on many varieties, sizes, and packs, and this trend is expected to continue for the next couple of months. The most significant item that is down this year is the Gala apples. The latest storage report shows that inventory is down over 20% from last year. Asparagus – Remains extremely short. With Mother’s Day this coming weekend things could get interesting. Prices are strong and large asparagus is really hard to find. Domestic production is set to crank up, but it’s not quite there yet. Blueberries – Are rolling in Georgia and they’re packed in pints vs. 6oz packs. Much better value on the pints and it should steadily improve as the weather warms. Our local guys are set to get started in just a few weeks. Broccoli and Cabbage – Cabbage is going strong locally, broccoli has just begun. Supplies and pricing are getting much better on both. Corn– Is widely available now and quality and pricing are excellent! It’s been a tough spring but they’re finally past the hard part and the summer should be smooth sailing from here on. Strawberries – Are really cranking up locally now. Our local farmers have moved out of the greenhouses and moved to fruit from the field and supplies are much stronger and the quality is gorgeous. You can see it at all the road side stands popping up everywhere. Feature them everywhere you can. Squash and Zucchini – Florida has wrapped up their season, but Georgia is cranking up and should move the market back down. Our local guys are still a few weeks out, but spring is on the way and we’re looking forward to a great season. Tomatoes – Supplies are getting more and more critical every week. Sighting big tomatoes is like seeing Sasquatch, nobody believes you if you say you did. Prices remain very strong this week but are expected to change rapidly over the two upcoming weeks. Next time you get a call from an unknown number, answer it by whispering “It’s done, but there’s blood everywhere.”
• Produce Supply Update April 17rd, 2026 Good Morning! Global Market Note – The issues going on in the Straight of Hormuz have caused worldwide shortages of petroleum. So… of course freight rates are through the roof, but also effected are harvesting costs, fertilizers and packaging supplies including all plastics. Shippers and farmers are having to pass along these increases and causing many items to climb in price. Many freight companies are implementing fuel surcharges, increasing the cost of everything. Asparagus – Is still extremely short, but the local season is set to start in many areas, which should help bring the market down, hopefully. We should start seeing local product any day here. Cabbage – Is going strong locally, and right behind that, in a couple of weeks, should be broccoli. It’s been a long, cold winter, but supplies are improving. Corn, Peppers and Tomatoes – This market continues in a demand exceeds supply situation. As farmers wait for new plants to come on line, supplies on tomatoes and corn have kept the market cranked up for an extended time. Peppers seem to be easing downward just as anticipated during the 2 nd week of the month. Looks like supply is finally increasing on those. Lettuce – Has fully transitioneed to northern areas that will supply the country for the summer months. It was a smooth one this time, so we should have a great summer. Onions and Potatoes– Potatoes are at very good pricing now and and heavy on supply, but transportation has been a real struggle and diesel costs have caused the final price to be higher, quality is still beautiful. Onions tightened up last week , so feature these staples on your menus for profitable side items the everyone loves. Strawberries – Are rolling locally now. Our local farmers have moved out of the greenhouses and moved to fruit from the field and supplies are much stronger. Squash and Zucchini – Florida is about to wrap up their season, but Georgia is cranking up and should move the market back down. Our local guys are still a couple of weeks out, but spring is on the way and we’re looking forward to a great season. Q: If Farmer A sells apples and Farmer B sells bananas, what does Farmer C sell? A: Medicine.